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José Fonderi
In Biggles in Mexico, José Fonderi was a wealthy rancher who owned a hacienda up the river from the town of Eltora in the Sonora Desert. Biggles and Ginger first met José when they drove into town and stopped to ask him the way to a hotel. They noticed that José looked annoyed but didn't know why. They later learnt the background from Samuel Brimshawe, or "Nifty", one of a trio of diamond robbers who had taken refuge in Eltora. According to "Nifty", José was engaged to a local girl, Margarita, the daughter of a naturalist. But Carlos Cornelli, another of the diamond gang, had been romancing her. The night after Biggles and Ginger arrived, they saw José riding into town. They then heard a gunshot and saw José riding away. They later discovered that Cornelli had been shot while serenading Margarita. Everyone thought it must be José who had done it--he was "quite wild" after all. However the local policeman Juan later showed Biggles the bullet which had killed Cornelli, and Biggles realised that it came from a .38 automatic and not from a Colt .45 such as carried by José. When José called on Biggles to ask what he knew of the event, Biggles told him that he was certain he did not do it, going by the evidence of the bullet. However, minding his own business, he had not told it to Juan yet. Agreeing that minding one's own business was a wise option in that locality, José nonetheless thanked Biggles for his faith in him and for the information. José then passed the information to Juan. Based on this, and also on José's own account (he had seen the shooter), Nicolas Brabinsky, the leader of the diamond gang was arrested. Later, Iron Curtain diamond buyer Hugo Schultz arrived in Eltora with two armed escorts. Learning that Nifty had lent Ginger Brabinsky's car and had driven off towards the U.S. border, they went off after him as the diamonds were hidden in the car. Biggles knew Ginger was in danger but was helpless without transport. He saw José in a station wagon and asked to borrow it. Instead, José offered to drive Biggles himself. Here, José's local knowledge of the secret paths and short cuts in the desert came in useful and they were able to track down the agents who were pursuing Ginger. José demonstrated his duelling skills when he shot one of the agents dead in an exchange of fire. José helped Biggles and Ginger recover the diamonds and, at the request of Biggles, agreed to say nothing to the local police about it. José was dressed for the part when he first met Biggles: a handsome young man, swarthy, embroidered shirt, leather chaps and an enormous silver-braided sombrero on his head. With a wiry-looking pony and a pearl handled Colt 45 revolver, he was, as Biggles told Ginger, just like the type of Western gunman Ginger expected from books. "Everything seems to be laid on for you," said Biggles. Category:People Category:Biggles characters Category:Air Police era characters